pets Archives - Page 4 of 5

Tag: pets

23
Aug
2016

Oscar’s dry skin.

categories: Oscar

We all know what it’s like to have dry itchy skin… not nice!! So when your pup experiences dry and itchy skin caused from the harsh winter weather, it’s only natural to want to try and help him! Oscar’s skin is definitely dryer in winter and I need to take extra care to make sure it clears up and doesn’t bother him. During the winter months I try to keep him indoors so that he stays clean. Bathing him too often in winter definitely contributes to his dry skin, even though I always use a conditioner. Oscar has no issues with staying indoors, he loves nothing more than all day snuggles on the couch under his duvet-who wouldn’t? If it is really cold I have to coax him outside with treats just so he can use the bathroom, and he lives in his pyjamas! When it comes to winter, Oscar absolutely hates it! Luckily for him spring is around the corner and he needs to be in tip top condition, here are some things I like to add to Oscar’s diet to keep his skin healthy and his fur shiny…

Oscar loves snoozing on the couch with his duvet

Olive oil: this is a great one because we all have olive oil in our cupboards. I just drizzle a tablespoon over Oscar’s dry food which of course he loves.

Coconut oil: I have already written about how amazing coconut oil is for your pup (to read about the Wonders of Coconut Oil, click here), so it’s time to include it in his daily diet! I love making frozen coconut oil drops or simply scoop small blobs and dot them over his dry dog food.

Tuna in oil: Oscar goes crazy for tuna! He knows exactly what I am about to open before I have reached for the tin opener-haha! For Oscar I always opt for the tuna in oil, I either give it to him as is in his treat bowl or I make yummy treats for him to enjoy. The fish oils, mixed with the added oils do magic tricks for Oscar’s fur. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 tin tuna in oil

1 cup flour

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon coconut oil

1 egg

Directions

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. If the mixture is too sticky then add more flour until you get the right consistency. Roll the dough out and using cookie cutters cut cute treats for your pooch. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for around 25 minutes or until cooked and golden. Once cooked allow the treats to cool before letting your pup enjoy. Store them in an air tight container.

Tuna treats are a real winner with Oscar, bake a batch for your furry love

Humidifier: a great room moisturiser is a humidifier. Oscar sleeps with us in our bedroom and we use a humidifier every night which helps keep Oscar’s skin moisturised too.

We hope that by using these easy tips, your pups skin will be summer ready in no time!

Oscar loves to roll in dirt so it is important that I take care of his skin and fur for him

Thank you for reading.

27
Jul
2016

Bunny boredom busters

categories: Valentine and Duchess

I absolutely adore Valentine and Duchess and in the 9 months they have been apart of our family I have learnt so much about raising happy and healthy bunnies! Keeping your bunny happy and healthy is not as easy as you may think. They need a lot more attention than just a lettuce leaf and a carrot. Each day we are together they become cuter and cuter, they play with Oscar and completely trash their play room every night, yes I find this behaviour cute! I am constantly on the lookout for things to keep them entertained, a bored bunny is a very unhappy bunny! Bunnies get bored quickly and easily so it is very important you spend time with your bunny loving them and playing with them. Bunnies are also very intelligent and they need mental stimulation everyday. Luckily Valentine and Duchess have no idea whether I paid good money for a toy or if its something recycled, if they can toss it, climb through it or jump onto it they love it. Any empty box, plastic bottle lids and toilet roll holders go in Valentine and Duchess’ box so I can create fun and interesting toys for them to play with, which they love!

Get creative with your bunny's food. — Get creative with your bunny’s food.

Here are a few of their favourite boredom busters, we hope your bunnies love them too…

Toilet roll holder balls: These are a firm favourite with Valentine and Duchess! I like to fill them up with fresh herbs that I grow in my garden. These balls keep the two of them entertained for quite some time. They toss them and roll them around eventually pulling the rings apart so they can eat the herbs. They also toss the individual rings around too. It really is very cute to watch! And since everyone uses toilet paper, you can have a constant supply of these cute toys.

Directions

Simply cut the toilet roll into rings and intertwine them until it forms a sturdy ball shape. Then stuff the herbs inside and watch your bunny have fun.

Valentine and Duchess love these herb stuffed homemade balls.

Empty boxes: Valentine and Duchess absolutely love climbing through empty boxes. I usually cut a whole in the side for them to get through. I fill the box with shredded paper, brown paper or hay and it keeps them entertained for hours each night! Sometimes I stack more than one box on top of each other so they can knock them down and push them around. At our local pet shop we found a ‘seed box’. It is a box covered in edible seeds which they absolutely loved and have devoured, I will definitely be on the look out for another one of those!

Climbing through boxes filled with hay, shredded paper and brown paper is so much fun!

Food fun: I like to make breakfast and dinner interesting for Valentine and Duchess. Stuffing lettuce, carrots and celery into toilet roll holders, dried herb refill boxes work well too, or using a piece of string across a section of their play room which I peg bits of fresh veggies to. I like to have fun with their actual food too, making them bunny sushi or fruit and veggie skewers. The options are endless when it comes to having fun with their food.

Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny's favourite fresh veggies and hay. — Stuff toilet roll holders with your bunny’s favourite fresh veggies and hay.

Food-line

Hang some string across an area either in your bunny’s cage, play area or a section of your house. Then use wooden pegs and peg all sorts of fresh fruit and veggies up: apple, pear, cucumber, green beans, celery, rocket, mint, basil etc… I love watching Valentine and Duchess have fun at meal times.

This is so easy to do for your bunnies and they will love it.

Bunny sushi

Who says sushi is only for humans 😉 Simply cut thick pieces of cucumber and take the soft middle part out leaving you with a round whole in the centre. Then cut some thin carrot sticks, celery sticks, some corn or whatever it is that your bunny loves and fill the centre. You can use a variety of ingredients for this which is why I love making this for them.

Herb board

The herb board is also a favourite for Valentine and Duchess because once they have found and eaten all the herbs they then pull out the strips cardboard and toss them around, keeping them entertained for hours! All you need is a cardboard base, a cardboard box that you can cut into strips and some toilet roll holders cut in half. Then you slide in their favourite herbs and watch them have fun.

Games: I love playing games with Valentine and Duchess and it’s always fun when they engage, of course if they are not in the mood I have no chance of playing-haha! We particularly love playing with Oscar’s IQ board game. I hide their dry food pellets or some homemade treats and using their noses they push the wooden pieces so they can get to their treats. We have great fun playing this.

Playing games with Valentine and Duchess is my absolute best!

We also enjoy playing with ping pong balls, rolling them to each other, Duchess tends to ‘chin’ them rather than send them back to me (chinning is said to be her way of telling me the ball belongs to her, it’s a sign of possession in the bunny world). We have a skittle set that we play with too, but sometimes the noise of the skittles crashing onto the floor gives them a little fright. Since our entire house is tiled I usually place a blanket down so the skittles don’t fall as hard. The last thing I want to do is scare my babies while we are supposed to be having fun!

They enjoy tossing small objects in the air too so I always keep plastic bottle lids and usually place them all in a box for them, in the mornings I wake up to find them hidden and thrown all over the place 🙂

Duchess loves hiding inside the seed box.

These are just a few ways in which I like to entertain Valentine and Duchess. I rotate their games each day and I never leave the same toys down constantly because they get bored with them. Instead I pick them up and will rotate them each couple of days. Even though it is the same toy, to them it’s new! But most of all have fun playing with your bunnies, a happy bunny is the best bunny!

Thank you for reading.

11
Jul
2016

Finding the perfect house sitter…

categories: Oscar

Last week we took a short break and went exploring the African bush in Botswana. It was wonderful to be in nature, have no access to wifi or have any cell phone reception. You realise just how much you reply on your cell phone and how often you check in on what’s happening in the social media world. I realised that I won’t actually die without it-haha! We did however buy a local sim card and some airtime to check in on our babies at home as well as our family members, we didn’t want the flying squad to come looking for us 😉

There is one very important task we have to tackle before we can go away on any holiday… Finding the perfect house sitter! Unfortunately we cannot take Oscar, Valentine and Duchess on every holiday we go on. Living away from friends and family is tough as it is, but you truly realise just how alone you are when you have no one to rely on and help you out! Inviting a stranger into our home, to live in and look after our babies, is terribly daunting for us. Alexis was recommended to us by a mutual friend and she turned out to be the absolute best! Oscar got on well with her and Valentine and Duchess warmed to her too. She sent us photo’s regularly although we only received them once back in the land of the living 😉 It was comforting and heartwarming to know everyone was enjoying themselves. Unfortunately Alexis will not be available to house sit for us again as she returns back to her home country-The USA. SO the process starts all over again….

Oscar has no problem staying at home to look after things while we go away... — Oscar has no problem staying at home to look after things while we go away…

Here are my top tips for finding the perfect house sitter:

Ask questions- Write down a list of everything you want to know from the potential house sitter and don’t be afraid to ask what you really want to know. After all this person will be sleeping in your home and looking after your most precious beings-your furry loves! Try and get to know the person as well as you can in the time you have available. See how they react and respond to your questions. If something doesn’t sit well with you, move onto the next person ASAP! Always trust your gut…

Oscar is allowed to sleep on the couch if he feels like it. Let your house sitter know this information.

Let them know- Always let the potential house sitter know what it is you expect from them. Explain how things usually work in your home, for example, Valentine and Duchess expect their breakfast at around 8am every morning and dinner time is around 6pm (depending on what time the sun goes down). Oscar is less demanding when it comes to his meals, however he has 2 homemade bedtime treats every single night. Explain the smallest detail and expect it to be carried out. The idea of a house sitter is to keep your fur babies as undisturbed as possible, so the house sitter needs to slot in and take your place for a few days.

Valentine and Duchess expect their meals at certain times of the day.

Type it out- I always type and print out everything that was said while showing the house sitter around. It is a lot of information to process and to ensure mistakes don’t happen it is best to give them something typed out. To you it may seem simple and obvious, but you do it every single day without even thinking about it. To someone new there could be an overwhelming list of things to do. We are not perfect and having a typed out sheet makes the house sitters job a lot easier. I include photo’s too. It is a lot easier when you have a visual image to refer to. For example, how Oscar likes to be covered at night or how I plate Valentine and Duchess’ meals. The more information you provide, the better things will be.

Oscar likes to be covered in a certain way every night.

Prepare them a room- Just like having any other guest over, it is important to make sure they have a comfortable bed to sleep in and space to unpack. They need to feel welcome in your home. Add some flowers or leave a chocolate under their pillow, after all they are a very important guest!

Oscar and Valentine have a special 'bromance' going on! — Oscar and Valentine have a special ‘bromance’ going on!

Invite them for dinner- Sometimes this one is a bit tricky as time doesn’t allow it. But it is not a bad idea to invite your chosen house sitter round for dinner or even a cup of tea or coffee and have a friendly casual catch up. Notice how your fur babies respond to them and how they interact with your fur babies! Let your babies get used to this person before they suddenly have to share their home with them.

Thank them- Make sure your house sitter knows exactly how much you appreciate them helping you out. After all, without them you wouldn’t be going on an amazing holiday! Leave a special treat for them to enjoy and buy some of their favourite foods. The more you appreciate them, the better they will look after your home and fur babies.

Having peace of mind knowing everything is absolutely fine at home and your fur babies are being looked after allows you to enjoy your holiday that much more.

Thank you for reading.

10
May
2016

Everybunny needs to be healthy

categories: Valentine and Duchess

Being healthy is key, whether you are a two legged being or a four legged being, health is of utmost importance! I am a very new bunny mom, but I absolutely love it! Valentine and Duchess are constantly teaching me, fruits they don’t like, herbs they love, what games they enjoy playing and when they prefer to sleep. Their personalities are evident and very different. I constantly find myself laughing at their funny ways. I love being a bunny mom, and just like any mom I like to know that my babies are happy and healthy. I didn’t realise just how much bunnies eat until Valentine and Duchess came into my life. Each morning and each evening I spend a fair amount of time preparing their salads. Each meal is different from the previous one because I have noticed they do not enjoy eating the same thing more than twice! Fussy much 😉 So I have to have a meal plan for them and make sure I have enough fresh produce for them at all times. I am lucky enough to have a lovely vegetable and herb garden, but I seem to just grow produce for the two fluff balls-haha! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here is a list of Valentine and Duchess’ favourite fruits, vegetables and herbs and how they like to eat them…

The love list:

This is a list of fruit, veggies and herbs that Valentine and Duchess absolutely love.

One would think that giving a bunny a whole carrot would be what they dream of… Well not my bunnies! They will only eat the carrot if I give them slithers of carrots. I cut most of the other fruits and veggies into small bite sized cubes so it is easy for them to munch on. If something is too big for their liking, they will happily not eat it-even if it is a favourite!! Duchess has a sweet tooth and absolutely loves her fruit. Valentine will happily pass up his fresh foods for his pellets and treats-typical boy haha!

The no thanks list:

I’m not sure I would call my bunnies fussy, they just know what they like and what they don’t like! And luckily for me they let me know. I try to give Valentine and Duchess their favourites everyday, but I can’t help but throw a few of these non-favourites in now and again to see if they have changed their minds 😉 I try to cut them in a different way,slithers, as a zoodle, or small cubes, and sometimes it works!

It is important to feed your bunnies well balanced meals everyday. Remember your bunnies digestive system is very sensitive and too much of one thing can lead to an upset tummy and an uncomfortable bunny! Make sure you feed fruit in small amounts because of their sugar content. They can have slightly more vegetables and more leafy greens. Their main source of food should be hay! Valentine and Duchess love hay and they love playing in it too. I also feed them a small handful of rabbit pellets with each meal and of course homemade treats-but treat recipes are for another blog so keep a lookout 😉

I am pretty sure in a year from now I would have added to each of these lists and I cannot wait to learn more about Valentine and Duchess’ pallets…

Thank you for reading.

13
Apr
2016

Today’s menu…

categories: Recipes

I am always on the lookout for new recipes and food ideas for Oscar, both healthy and ‘cheat day’ treats. I am very fortunate to be able to provide Oscar with the very best food (in my opinion) that is currently available. I believe that his special dog food keeps him in tip top condition and allows him to be a spring chicken at the age of 12. But who is counting? Age is just a number!

Along with his food, I like to give Oscar some veggie dishes and treats to help him get extra vitamins and minerals to keep him healthy. This hasn’t always been an easy task… Just like a toddler, I have had to come up with creative ways to disguise veggies so my boy will eat them. Of course he has his favourites, but there are some veggies that I believe he should eat that he doesn’t necessarily love but with his hounds nose, he can sniff out anything! So I have to make his veggies tasty or he will turn his nose at them.

Here are some of Oscar’s favourite veggie sides and treats…

Gem squash, pumpkin and butternut:

Oscar loves these three veggies and he will eat them without hesitation. When I cook either of these vegetables for us, I will always add some extra so Oscar can enjoy too. I will usually steam the gem squash halves and scrape the flesh out for Oscar. The pumpkin and butternut I like to roast, lightly tossed in olive oil or coconut oil. Oscar loves roasted butternut on its own but I do like to add this yummy veggie to homemade treats too.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butternut/pumpkin or gem squash puree

1 egg

1 cup wholewheat flour

Handful of chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the butternut/pumpkin or gem squash puree, egg and parsley. Then add the flour and mix until a dough forms. If it is too sticky, add flour. If it is too dry, add a little water. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and using cookie cutter, cut out cute biscuit treats. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden. Let them air dry and cool for a couple of hours. Store them in an air tight container. Your pooch will loves these!

Beetroot:

Oscar will eat roasted beetroot too, but because of their awesome colour, I love making treats with them! I can also add leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale-which Oscar will not eat unless disguised in a treat…

Ingredients

1/2 cup roasted beetroot, mashed up

1 egg

1 cup flour

1/2 cup spinach or kale, wilted and blitzed up

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the mashed up beetroot and blitzed up spinach or kale then add the egg then add the flour until a dough forms. Roll your dough out on a floured surface. Using cookie cutters, cut out the treats and place them on a greased baking tray. Bake them for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through. Remove them and let them cool on a cooling rack. Store them in an airtight container.

Sweet potato:

Besides dehydrating sweet potato as an alternative to a raw hide treat, Oscar loves sweet potato mash as well as sweet potato treats! Making sweet potato mash allows me to hide other veggies like carrots, broccoli, spinach and other healthy leafy greens that Oscar is not keen on eating just as they are.

Ingredients

1/2 cup sweet potato mash

1 cup wholewheat flour

1 egg

1/4 cup cooked broccoli, mashed

1/4 cup cooked spinach, blitzed

Handful of fresh parsley, chopped

Handful of fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix together the sweet potato, broccoli, spinach, fresh herbs and egg. Add the flour and mix until a dough forms. Instead of using cookie cutters, I like to make little potato gnocchi. Break a small piece of the dough and roll it into a ball then using a fork gently push on the dough ball to make it slightly flatter. Place the gnocchi onto a greased baking tray and bake for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through and slightly golden. Once cooked allow them to cool on a cooling rack before your pup enjoys. Store in an air tight container.

Be creative:

The options are endless when it comes to including your pooch at dinner time! Be creative and explore what he likes and what he doesn’t like. So the next time you make zoodles, broccoli mash or eggplant pizza make a little extra for your furry love…

Not an option:

Please be mindful and stay away from food items that are not healthy for your pooch.

Here are the top 12

Thank you for reading

04
Apr
2016

Happy April

categories: Calendar

April is one of my favourite months of the year! We hope your April is an awesome one…

Click here to download your April calendar

17
Mar
2016

Hoppy Easter

categories: Holiday fun

In October last year, we decided to expand our family and we adopted two gorgeous bunnies! Valentine and Duchess are two super cute fluff balls that are always up to mischief. Duchess is the girl, the ringleader and the boss-but then most of us woman are… (hahaha).

Valentine by nature is quite a chilled little guy, he isn’t too shy and loves cuddles and kisses. Duchess on the other hand is quite shy and only comes to you on her terms, but when she does, she basks in the kisses and cuddles she receives. When she has had enough she lets you know and swiftly hops away. They are absolutely adorable and of course Oscar adores his babies too. Every morning there is a kissing and sniffing ceremony that is too cute for words! Valentine is more forthcoming in these ceremonies, but Duchess is slowly coming around. She is royalty after all and does things when and if she feels like it. Meal times are my absolute best. Watching them devour their daily salads and learning which greens they love and which fruits they are not too keen on is the perfect way to spend my morning. I grab a cup of coffee and Oscar and I just sit and watch them enjoy.

They are curious little creatures too. I am forever thinking of new ways to keep them entertained, giving them new toys to play with and things to gnaw on. They get bored quite easily so it is important to give them new things to throw around and investigate. Something as small and insignificant (to us) as a toilet roll holder can keep them entertained for hours. Bunnies, as I have come to realise are extremely clean pets. They are forever grooming themselves and each other. Duchess will sit and lick Valentine and make sure he looks in tip top condition, of course while he falls asleep!

Now I am most certainly not saying rush out and adopt a bunny for Easter! For 10 years I have wanted a bunny to love and cuddle, and now I have two. I am over the moon with happiness, but I did my research and made sure that I could provide the very best for Valentine and Duchess to keep them happy. It takes, time, dedication and money to raise any pet and bunnies are no exception.

I am so excited to spend their first Easter spoiling them and loving them, of course with Oscar and my human man too 😉 Here are some of Oscar’s Easter spoils this year as well as spoils for Valentine and Duchess. So if you have pet bunnies spoil them over Easter too…

Oscar’s Easter Box

Why not create a fun and exciting Easter box for your pup… Here are some goodies you can include that are available in the Stylish Paws online store. Click here to browse.

A new collar and leash set

A comfy and warm jacket

Non-slip doggy socks

An adventure harness

A doggy bowtie

Mini Donuts

Every pup needs Easter treats to enjoy! Now these are not the healthiest treats I have ever made, but they are oh so yummy. You and your furry love can enjoy these as a little Easter spoil…

Ingredients

2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar (please do not use Xylitol!)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbp melted butter

2 eggs

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tbp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

food colouring

sprinkles

Directions

Using an electric beater, beat together all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Plug in your mini donut maker, or preheat your oven to 180 degrees and prepare your donut trays. Fill your donut trays with the mixture and place them in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and slightly golden. Remove your cooked donuts and gently place them on a cooling rack to cool. Repeat the process until your mixture is finished. I have a mini donut maker so I will be using that. Pour enough mixture into each donut ring, close the lid and leave it for 10 minutes or until cooked and lightly golden in colour. Once cooked, scoop the donuts out gently and let them cool on a cooling rack. Carry on making your donuts until your mixture is finished. Once all your donuts are cooled, they can be iced. Mix together the icing ingredients and add your food colouring to the desired colour you are looking for. Carefully dip one side of your donut into the icing and place back onto the cooling rack, sprinkle with some pretty sprinkles and let them dry. Once the icing is set you can enjoy these yummy treats with your furry love! Savour these moments in life, they are precious.

My real Easter Bunnies: Valentine and Duchess

Because we now have bunnies in our family, of course they need to get spoiled too! Here are some goodies that Valentine and Duchess will be enjoying this Easter…

Bunny Basket

Valentine and Duchess will also get an Easter box this year filled with fun things to keep them entertained as well as some yummy homemade treats.

Toilet roll holders filled with hay and their favourite fresh herbs.

Toilet roll balls filled with their favourite herbs. Bunnies love to toss things around and these can come apart and they can roll and throw the rings around. It is a real winner.

How to make them

Take a toilet roll holder and cut it up into rings. Carefully intertwine the rings so they eventually make a ball. Squeeze herbs into the crevices and let your bunny roll them around and have fun.

Homemade treats

Make something your bunny can enjoy over the Easter holidays.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rabbit pellets

1/2 cup oats

1 ripe banana

1/4 cup butternut

Directions

Cut up the butternut and dry roast it in the oven until soft. You can also boil it until soft. Grind the dry ingredients using a food processor so they become fine and of a flour consistency. Once the butternut is cooked, mash it using a potato masher.Mash the banana and add both the banana and butternut to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly so a dough forms. Roll your dough out and using small cookie cutters cut out your bunny treats. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked. Once cooked, turn the oven off and leave the treats to cool and dry out in the oven. Once cooled you can let your fluff ball enjoy his homemade speciality! Store them in an air tight container.

Easter hunt

Oscar’s favourite game is ‘find it’, so what better time to play than on Easter morning! You can hide the contents of your pups Easter box around the garden or just opt for hiding his treats like I do. Watch his excitement as he races around searching for his hidden treasures…. It is the most wonderful thing to watch. If you, like me, have bunnies to love, you can include them in the Easter hunt too. You can hide their homemade treats around their hutch and places they are allowed to run and play. This will provide excellent entertainment for them and for you 🙂 Don’t forget to get your camera out and snap away so you can always remember these wonderfully happy moments!

Have fun with your furry loves, of all kinds! Enjoy giving them gifts and baking them special treats, I know I will 🙂

Thank you for reading

01
Mar
2016

Happy March

categories: Calendar

The month of March is here and we hope it’s a memorable one for you.

Download your free March calendar here

22
Feb
2016

The wonders of coconut oil.

categories: DIY

We all know how healthy coconut oil is for us humans, but did you know that as healthy as it is for us, it is for our furry loves? It has a wide variety of benefits and uses for our furry companions, including digestion support, fur conditioner, soothes skin irritations, quick energy booster, supports heathy weight, aids in bone and joint health, improves general skin health, and disinfects cuts, wounds and bites just to name a few. I’ll be honest, I am not a huge fan of using it in my cooking but Oscar on the other hand absolutely loves it! So here are a few ways your pooch can benefit from a little coconut oil each day…

Skin and fur conditioner

We have all had skin irritations and rashes at some point in our lives, so we know exactly how itchy and sore they can be. When you notice your pup scratching and gnawing at his fur, try rubbing a handful of coconut oil onto his fur and give him a little massage to soothe his inflamed skin area. Coconut has great soothing properties to help ease skin irritations caused by dry skin, flea bites or just a general rash. Coconut oil works wonders on our own hair so why not treat your pups fur to a hydrating mask too. Simply bath him as usual and condition his fur with coconut oil instead of his usual pet conditioner. Gently massage the coconut oil into his skin-This is always Oscar’s favourite part of his bath regime. It is not necessary to rinse thoroughly but you can rinse slightly to get the greasy residue off. Your pooch will smell gorgeous too 🙂

Snout and paw protector

When your pups paws feel a little extra rough and tough, you can rub a small amount of coconut oil on them to soften them up. It will also heal any cuts he may have on his paws. You can also smear a small amount onto his snout when it looks a little dry and cracked (read all about Oscar’s schnoz and why your pups nose may be a little dry here: Oscar’s Schnoz).

A healthy coat

For a healthy and shiny coat, you can feed your furry love a small spoonful or two of coconut oil each day. You can mix it in with their kibble to make it extra delicious or you can make one of the yummy treat recipes below. Start with a teaspoon amount and slowly increase it to a tablespoon-depending on the size of your pup! If it upsets your pups tummy please don’t give him anymore. As a guideline, for a small pooch start with 1/4 teaspoon and slowly increase it over time to a full teaspoon. For a medium to large pup, start with a teaspoon and work your way up to a tablespoon.

Treats

Coconut oil drops

Ingredients

Organic coconut oil

Directions

For this recipe, the coconut oil needs to be slightly hard, not a runny consistency. Scoop some organic coconut oil into a zip lock bag and seal it tightly. Line a baking tray or any tray with grease proof paper. Cut just the tip off the zip lock bag and squeeze dollops of the coconut oil onto the baking tray. Place them into the freezer for a few hours. Remove them and store the coconut drops in an airtight container or jar in the fridge or freezer.

Frozen peanut butter, banana and coconut pops

Ingredients

1 cup organic peanut butter

1 cup organic coconut oil

1 medium banana, mashed

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. The softer the coconut oil and peanut butter, the easier it will be to combine. You can use a spoon or an electric beater. Once completely mixed, spoon the mixture into silicone ice trays. You can also make little drops like the above recipe if you would prefer. Simply place the mixture in the fridge for 10 minutes to harden slightly then follow the steps above. Place them in the freezer for a few hours. Store them in an air tight container or jar and keep them in the fridge or freezer.

No bake peanut butter and coconut balls

Ingredients

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 tbs organic peanut butter

3 tbs apple sauce

2 cups oats

2 tsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions

Mix together the coconut oil, peanut butter, apple sauce, honey, vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add the oats. If the mixture is too stiff to work with then add a little extra apple sauce. If it is too sticky then add a little extra oats. Scoop the mixture into meatball-sized balls and place them onto a greased baking tray or plate. Freeze them for a few hours before letting your pup enjoy. Store them in an air tight container or jar and keep them in the fridge or freezer. Warning-These are seriously delicious and I love sharing these treats with Oscar 😉

Enjoy the wonders of coconut oil!

Thank you for reading

10
Feb
2016

Will you be my Valentine?

categories: Summer Love

No one likes to admit they enjoy celebrating Valentine’s Day… I will admit I love it! Whether it’s receiving a surprise delivery of roses and chocolates at the office or a romantic home cooked meal, every girl gets butterflies when her man says ‘I love you’ on Valentine’s Day!

I agree, love shouldn’t be bound to just one day of the year, but it’s awesome celebrating it on February 14th every year. Oscar of course has no idea when or what Valentine’s Day is, he truly shows me unconditional love everyday of the year. He wags his tail at me, he follows me everywhere, sleeps with me, cuddles on the couch with me, I even catch him staring at me with his big gorgeous eyes.

Yes, Valentine’s Day is a cliché, but who cares! Celebrate it!

Here are some ways to include your good looking pup in your Valentine’s Day celebrations…

Bake your way to his heart:

They say the best way to a man’s heart is through cooking-Well now is the time to bake something yummy and full of love for your furry love.

Milky Hearts

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup milk powder

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup melted butter

1 egg

Icing Ingredients

2 tbs cornstarch or rice flour

2 tbs water

1 tsp honey

organic food colouring

Directions

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Mix all your ingredients together in a big mixing bowl. Once mixed, turn out onto a floured surface and roll your dough out. Take your heart shaped cookie cutters and cut out the cookies. Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake for +- 15 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked. Once the cookie hearts have cooled, mix together the icing ingredients and ice the hearts. Play around and be creative. Your pooch deserves some cute Valentine’s treats too 🙂 Let the icing dry/set, then let your pup enjoy his treats. Store them in an airtight container.

Have a photoshoot

Memories are forever, and so are photographs! Create cute scenes with props and outfits and snap away. You will be surprised at just how much your furry love enjoys having his photo taken.

You can use blankets and pillows, anything pink, red, black or white. Make a cute bunting of hearts, ‘X’ and ‘O’. Use chalk boards and write cute little sayings. Have him hold a rose in his mouth or sprinkle some rose petals on him. Use Photo Booth props. Kiss him with bright red lipstick-he will definitely love you for that one! Be in the moment with your pooch and have fun together creating memories.

Red, Red, Red

Live in the moment of love. Dress your pup in anything related to Valentine’s Day. A red collar, a pink scarf, a black jacket or white socks. Anything goes on this day of love! Then take him for a walk at his favourite spot so he can show off his Valentine’s gear.

Stylish Paws has an awesome selection of collars, leashes, jackets and socks for your furry love!

Click here to shop for your furry valentine…

Most of all have fun with your furry loves and celebrate Valentine’s Day!

Thank you for reading